Tensions between the band grew during the production in 1970 of their first album, Hark! The Village Wait to the point where they never again worked together after its completion, but the music itself shows no signs of these difficulties. While having a rock sensibility there is a greater sense of the authentic folk tradition than even in the best of Fairport, and a particular beauty arising from the two pairs of voices. The Woods being replaced by admired folk stalwart Martin Carthy, with violinist Peter Knight to widen the musical textures, the group late in 1970 recorded their most admired record Please to see the King. Ten Man Mop followed in 1971, more accomplished but generally felt to be less exciting. The expensive gatefold sleeve swallowed the band's royalties, and was referred to as a tombstone, since Hutchings and Carthy then left, to pursue Hutchings' new vision of a specifically English strand of folk rock with The Albion Band, and Steeleye Mk 2 folded.
However the inclusion of the less celebrated and more rock orientated replacements Rick Kemp and Bob Johnson led to the most commercially successful phase in the band's existence, vocalist Maddy Prior becoming the primary focus of the band, and a run of well received albums, from Below the Salt and Now we Are Six, their first with drummer Nigel Pegrum, to their eighth, and most commercially successful, All Around my Hat, in 1975.
Still active, they have a claim to be one of the longest-lived and perhaps the most commercially successful of all the folk rock bands of the era, thanks to their hit singles Gaudete and All Around My Hat, 3 top 40 albums and even a certified "gold" record with All Around My Hat.
Tim Hart died of lung cancer on 24 December 2009, aged 61.
The Old Turf Fire
Steeleye Span Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh the old turf fire
And the hearth swept clean
There's no-one so contented as myself and Paddy Keane,
The baby in the cradle,
You can hear it's mammy say,
Ah will you go to sleep alanna
Now I've got a little house and land
As neat as it can be,
You'll never see the likes of it
This side of Lisnakea.
No piano in the corner
And no pictures on the wall,
But I'm happy and contented
In my little cottage hall
Now the man that I work for,
Of noble blood is he,
But somethin' I'll be tellin' you
We never can agree
He has big towering mansions,
He has castles great and tall
But I wouldn't change the roof that crowns
My own cottage hall.
Oh the old turf fire
And the hearth swept clean
There's no-one so contented as myself and Paddy Keane,
The baby in the cradle,
You can hear it's mammy say,
Ah will you go to sleep alanna
While I wet your daddy's tea.
Round the old turf fire
sit the old folk, bent with years,
As they watch us trippin' lightly
They're smilin' thro' their tears.
So sadly they are dreaming
Of their youthful heart's desire -
In those dear old days so long ago
Around the old turf fire.
The Old Turf Fire by Steeleye Span is a traditional song that paints a vivid image of contentment and simplicity in a small cottage. The singer shares that he lives happily in his little house with no pictures on the wall or piano in the corner. He is content with what he has and wouldn't change it for the big, towering mansions owned by the nobleman he works for. The song takes on a nostalgic tone when the singer describes the old folk sitting around the old turf fire, watching the younger generation dance and smile. The old folks are bent with years and dream of their youthful hearts' desires. Steeleye Span delivers the song with beautiful harmony, and the simple melody adds to the song's charm.
The song The Old Turf Fire is a perfect representation of traditional Irish life. The lyrics of the song evoke images of rural Ireland, where people lived simple lives without many of the luxuries we have today. The song's focus on the cottage, the baby in the cradle, and the turf fire all speak to traditional Irish life. The song's melody has been used for many other Irish songs over the years, and it remains a favorite among those who enjoy Irish folk music.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh the old turf fire
The singer is reminiscing about the comfort of sitting by the turf fire.
And the hearth swept clean
They have kept their house clean by sweeping the hearth and they are content with their simple lifestyle.
There's no-one so contented as myself and Paddy Keane,
The singer and Paddy Keane are very happy and content with their humble lives.
The baby in the cradle,
There is a baby in the cradle.
You can hear it's mammy say,
The mother of the baby is talking to it.
Ah will you go to sleep alanna
The mother is asking the baby to go to sleep.
While I wet your daddy's tea.
The mother is making tea for the baby's father.
Now I've got a little house and land
The artist has a small but comfortable house and some land.
As neat as it can be,
The artist takes great care in keeping their house very neat and tidy.
You'll never see the likes of it
Their house is unique and not like any other houses around the area.
This side of Lisnakea.
Lisnakea is a potential comparison point for their house, which they find to be lacking in comparison.
No piano in the corner
There is no piano or other extravagant furnishings in their house.
And no pictures on the wall,
Their walls are devoid of any decorating or pictures.
But I'm happy and contented
Despite the lack of any extravagances, the singer is happy and satisfied with life.
In my little cottage hall
The singer's cottage, while small, is their home and they take pride in it.
Now the man that I work for,
The artist works for an employer.
Of noble blood is he,
The employer is of noble descent.
But somethin' I'll be tellin' you
The singer is about to reveal something about their feelings towards their employer.
We never can agree
The singer and their employer do not see eye to eye on things.
He has big towering mansions,
The employer owns large and grand mansions.
He has castles great and tall
The employer also owns tall and grand castles.
But I wouldn't change the roof that crowns
The artist is content with their simple life and would not trade it for the grandeur of their employer's properties.
My own cottage hall.
The singer loves their small and humble cottage.
Round the old turf fire
The artist is reminded of how the elderly in their community gather around the turf fire.
sit the old folk, bent with years,
The elderly in the community are older and their health has deteriorated.
As they watch us trippin' lightly
As the singer reflects on their memories of the old fire, the elderly observe the young people of the community jumping and dancing.
They're smilin' thro' their tears.
The elderly are happy to see the young people having fun, but are also emotional as they remember their own youthful days.
So sadly they are dreaming
The elderly are dreaming and reminiscing about their own youthful days.
Of their youthful heart's desire -
The elderly are yearning for the passions they felt in their younger days.
In those dear old days so long ago
The elderly are reminiscing about the good old days when they were young.
Contributed by William Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ben - Moderator
on Bonny Moorhen
Hi Stuart, We have corrected the description above.
Stuart Tartan
on Bonny Moorhen
This description of the song completely misses the point in every way. It IS NOT about a bird.
It is an allegorical Jacobite-era song about Bonny Prince Charlie (the bonny moorhen). The colours mentioned, for instance, are the colours of the Clan Stuart tartan.